TANF FAQs

You must submit a complete application with applicable verifications and meet all basic eligibility criteria. Criteria includes, but is not limited to, the following:

• Have a minor living in your home for which you are providing care
• At least one member of your household must be a member or a descendant of a federally recognized Native American tribe, or be a descendant of a family member listed on the California Indian Judgment Rolls
• Have countable income equal to or less than 200% of the federal poverty guidelines

Once an adult is ineligible to receive federally funded TANF assistance due to reaching the 60-month limit, the children in the home may still be eligible to receive assistance. However, supportive services and performance incentives may be restricted due to the ineligibility of the adult.

We provide a number of supportive services to eligible families to help them overcome barriers to meet the required work participation activities. Supportive service requests are reviewed on a case-by-case basis depending on the identified need for the service and whether it will assist the family in achieving self-sufficiency. These include, but are not limited, to:

• Child care costs
• Transportation costs
• Medical and non-medical substance abuse services, mental health services and other medical services not covered by other insurance or Medi-Cal
• School and work clothing allowances
• Job skill training fees and tuition
• Vehicle repair
• Professional license fees
• Driver’s license fees
• Grooming/hygiene expenses
• Relocation expenses
• Emergency food expenses
• Utility expenses
• Automobile insurance expenses
• Housing and emergency shelter expenses
• Special tools or equipment
• Business start-up expenses

Depending on the amount of earnings you receive, you may still be eligible to receive TANF cash assistance. Alternatively, if your earnings exceed our allowable limits, you may be eligible to receive transitional services, which include supportive services aimed at employment retention. Transitional services are limited to a maximum of 12 consecutive months, once per lifetime.

At least one of your minor children under age 18 (or under 19 if they are still attending a secondary or equivalent school) must reside with you in your home. You may only receive cash assistance for those minor children living in your home, with the exception of certain situations. If your child reaches age 18 (or 19), it is your responsibility to notify us in the month this occurs. Please contact your nearest TANF office for more information.

Whether you will remain eligible for cash assistance depends on a number of factors, including the number of family members in your household, your cash assistance grant, whether or not you have reached your 60-month time limit, your gross income, and when you receive your wages. Your case counselor can go over these factors to help you understand whether you might continue to receive some cash assistance and for how long. Even if your regular cash assistance case closes, you may be eligible for transitional services, which would allow you to receive certain supportive services for up to 12 months following your case closure.

Under most circumstances, you would be able to receive cash assistance and some supportive services for relative children living with you. Depending on your financial situation, you may also qualify as a “needy caretaker” relative. Please contact your nearest TANF office to learn more and apply for services.

If you or a family household member is receiving SSI/SDI benefits, your family may still be eligible for Tribal TANF.

If one spouse is undocumented and not a lawful Permanent Resident, and the other spouse is a lawful Permanent Resident, your family members may still be eligible for assistance.

No, their income is not counted in your grant calculation.

You are required to inform the Tribal TANF Program with 10 days of any changes in address, family income, family resources, number of persons in the household, children’s school attendance or living arrangement that may affect your right to receive assistance.

Yes. However, in order to remain eligible, you must participate in a substance abuse assessment and attend possible counseling sessions or enroll in a rehabilitation program. We will continue assistance to the family through a voucher system or protective payee, or we may deny, reduce or terminate benefits until client compliance.